Sophie Vorrath of One Step of the Grid reports that the project is expected to power about 100 households, 20% of the town’s residents and businesses while offsetting around 37,000 gallons of diesel a year.
An Australian-first renewable hydrogen demonstration plant has been completed in the Western Australian town of Denham, where it will test the technical and commercial viability of using the emissions-free fuel as a baseload power source. Western Australia (WA) government-owned utility Horizon Power commissioned the 348-kW electrolyzer, hydrogen compression and storage system and a 100-kW fuel cell as part of a renewable microgrid combining wind, solar and battery storage.
The plant, which produced its first hydrogen in October, was designed and built by Hybrid Systems Australia, in partnership with fellow Pacific Energy subsidiary ENGV, alongside a 704-kW solar farm dedicated to powering the hydrogen production. Once fully operational in early 2023, the A$9.3 million project is expected to be able to power around 100 households or 20% of Denham’s residents and businesses and offset around 37,000 gallons of diesel a year.
The green hydrogen facility is part of a major upgrade to the town’s microgrid, which previously ran on a combination of wind power and diesel generation. With the four wind turbines – installed between 1997 and 1999 – and its diesel plant coming to the end of their operational lives, Horizon Power sought out a more modern and sustainable replacement to power the town. After upgrade works, three of the four turbines – which had supplied around 30% of Denham’s energy requirements – are being returned to work, while a fourth one is being decommissioned. As well as adding solar and battery storage, the opportunity to trial the use of green hydrogen was also seized – and backed by […]
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